Azotha
The Azotha are an ancient seafaring clan of humans who settled in a number of areas in southern Kalmindor prior to The Sundering, including modern day Strangethorn Vale. Today, the Azotha inhabit an immense chain of islands along the entirety of the South Seas referred to as The Azothic Ring, as well as the nation of Kul Tiras as their most sizable immigrant population. 'History' Origins The early Azotha were not known to write or keep written records. Thus, the earliest known records of the tribe were made by the Gurubashi, and dated somewhere around 14,000-13,000 years in the past. Many tales regarding the origin of the Azotha were transcribed from their oral history in more recent years, however the historicity of these claims was highly debated for generations. Many among the Explorer's League believed that they split from the more dominant Arathi tribe due to conflicts over resources. However, ancient Pandaren accounts of the initial migrations from Hyad have recently been uncovered by the Lorewalkers, which corroborate with both these tales and the records of the trolls. It is now widely accepted that all tribes of Azotha are descended from the First Vrykul Raid into the titanic island-fortress of Hyad, one of the few large islands separate from the supercontinent of ancient Kalimdor. During the Titans' successful conquest of Azeroth, the forces of the Black Empire gathered in the southernmost reaches of modern day Pandaria, pooling their dark energy together to summon a mighty Old God in a a last ditch effort to corrupt the planet. Just before the spell could be completed, the titan-forged successfully purged the dreaded monsters. However, a dark rift was left to the realm of their would-be destroyer. Unlike the wound left by Y’shaarj, this rift was not ostensibly damaging to Azeroth herself, and thus the keepers were simply ordered to keep watch of the area until further notice. Following the war, the Pantheon determined that Azeroth would be in great peril if an additional Old God was allowed to infect the planet in their absence, and thus formulated a plan. The mogu were ordered to carve a vast ocean out around the rift, and build immense barricades as a means to slow the eldritch beast down were it to enter into reality. The newborn mogu were commanded to construct and oversee a great fortress-barrier around the area, much like those at Ulduar and Ahn'Qiraj. Meanwhile, keeper Odyn would send legions of iron Vrykul to serve as guards and foot soldiers. Birth of the Azotha These relentless constructs continued their service for millennia on their remote facility. However, their mainland brethren began to be infected with the curse of flesh, succumbing to the machinations of the imprisoned old ones. During the Age of a Hundred Kings, defeated mogu warlords traveled south in an effort to turn the armies to their petty causes. Despite being turned away, these travelers would sow the seeds of chaos within the ranks of Hyad in the form of the Curse of Flesh. Over time, the native vrykul and mogu world degenerate into mortal, fleshy creatures and lose their focus. Both vrykul and mogu were both naturally brutal populations when exposed to the curse, and many conflicts would arise among the two races, as well as their kin. However, due to their historically administrative roles, the mogu were able to convince the majority of the vrykul to rejoin their service. The cleverest managed to win the loyalty of larger forces, and thus rose to become the first emperors of the newly named Tian-Hyad. Those vrykul who found themselves among the losing side of these conflicts or desired to serve none at all soon found themselves at the mercy of the merciless. Many would sail away, settling in maritime communities along the southern coast of Kalimdor. Over time, these vrykul branched off in appearance from their brethren, becoming increasingly human and dark of skin. In contrast, however, they retained their knowledge of their original purpose, as well as their titanic origins. This could be seen in their early pantheons, as well as their culture today. They would name themselves Azotha, after their planet’s world soul. For this reason, prior to the discovery of the vrykul, the Azotha were heavily studied by the Explorer's League, due to an apparent connection to humanity and the Titans. Those that remained on Hyad would become the Juren, and eventually the Hyadese. Azothic Empire Owing much to their vrykul roots, the Azotha would continue to be a dominant mariner culture for centuries, settling many islands of the south seas, although many became pirates or mercenaries for goblins. Due to their shared ancestral ties, the islands of the Tanari and Azotha would collectively be known as the Azothic Ring. Similarly, the various ethnicities of these lands may be referred to as Azothic. The greatest of these settlements was in modern Stranglethorn, deep within the a small peninsula which they referred to as Ulmat Thondr. It was through this prosperous land that the kings of the Azotha centered their operations, with the island settlements serving as tributary states. The naming of said land hinted that the Azotha spoke a simplified version of Titan, which led many Dwarves to believe that they were not the only creatures on Azeroth created by the Pantheon. Ulmat Thondr was concealed and walled in by the Savage Hills, allowing them natural barriers but also leaving them susceptible to frequent floods. Troll Conflicts Due to their proximity to the territorial Gurubashi Empire, the two races fell into conflict almost immediately. The Azotha were regarded as filthy and savage by the standards of the trolls, and often raided troll settlements. The Gurubashi had a vastly superior army, and crushed the Azotha in nearly every open conflict. However, the collective threats of the competing troll tribes, Aqir and Night Elves left the Gurubashi to often divert their forces from their own land. Much like the gnolls and murlocs to humans today, the primitive Azotha were actively hunted, but remained a constant thorn in the troll's side. Up until the Great Sundering, the Azotha continued to eek out a comparatively meager resistance by raiding the trolls, calling warriors and spies to the fight. These nascent humans saw the kaldorei as shadowy figures with god-like powers, but were sometimes captured and used as slaves by them. The Sundering , overlooking the South Seas.]]When the night elves fought the demons during the War of the Ancients in their lands, both humans and trolls retreated deep into the wild. Groups of endangered humans or night elves were guided away from the rampaging doomguards by Aviana disguised in mortal form. After the Sundering, the Gurubashi infrastructure was nearly obliterated, and in their hour of weakness, the desperate Azotha struck deep into troll territory, expanding their territory and population towards the north. Enraged and humiliated, the Gurubashi turned to the loa, who, at a price, granted them incredible power. The last known signs of civilization in Ulmat Thondr ended abruptly after this point in history, leading most to believe that the Azotha in Stranglethorn were completely annihilated by the trolls. Post-Imperial Azotha Following the sacking of their continental capital in Ulmat Thondor, the centralized unity among Azotha all but dissipated, as did their exploration. However, rumors of another human empire in the far north began to circulate. Surviving Azothic clans out intrepid bands to explore the reborn world and to find their long-lost brethren. Slowly, trade routes were reestablished across the shattered world. Due to the Azotha’s unparalleled skills at navigating, the Kul Tirans would eventually begin a trend of employing them. Many immigrated to the Kingdom and coallesed among the populace. The descendents of these sailors are referred to as Azothic Kul Tirans. Today, Azothic Kul Tirans exist in each of the major holdings of the island, representing its greatest immigrant population and beating out the populations of gnomes and dwarves, who largely keep to their own communities, by a sizable margin. Records also show that there were indeed humans native to the area when the Arathi colonized what would become Stormwind.The kingdom's naming of Azeroth lends credit to the theory that the Arathi and Azotha cohabitated or perhaps even interbred. 'Physical Description' ]] Modern Azotha resemble the average humans with minor differences in build, facial structure and coloration. Typically, they are dark of hair and skin, with taller frames and a profficiency at feats of strength and agility compared to other humans. Azothic Kul Tirans of mixed parentage may inherit or perhaps even exeed the bulk many Kul Tirans are notable for. The ancient Azotha were described as tall, swarthy and bearded by the trolls, who likely compared the tribe to themselves. This indicates that they likely retained many vrykul characteristics at the time. Religion and Culture Traditional Azothic culture generally frowns upon the use of the arcane, perhaps harkening back to ancient atrocities committed by the mogu in their past. For this reason, mages are rarely tolerated in Azothic lands. With the exception of shamans, spellcasters as a whole are often the victim of mistrust, and rumored to be wicked individuals who steal souls and tamper with minds. Many believe that no "true" Azotha would stoop to using magic, considering it a weakness. Some exceptions to this rule exist, particularly among Azothic Kul Tirans, who have largely assimilated into their culture and, like their Lord Admiral, proudly wield the arcane. Debussy, a traveling mage from the Azothic ring, served alongside Sir Gareth Bayne in his early adventures in Gilneas. Necromancy and fel magic are considered particularly heinous, although the practice of shadow magic is not entirely unheard of. Early Azotha may have had access to divine spells through worship of the Old Gods or early cults that would become the Church of the Holy Light. Notable Azotha *Captain Donovan Carver *Travard *High Captain Justin Bartlett *Leandro Royston *Dorian Atwater Category:Human Category:Human Clans Category:Houses, Clans and Tribes